5 Tips to Surviving (and making the most of) Your TTC / I to I China TEFL Internship

For many, the concept of going to a foreign country at all is, well, foreign. Add to that the stress of teaching for the first time, and “anxious” seems an understatement. The following are 5 tips to quiet the nerves, and help interns get the most of their experience.

1. Getting Around

Getting around would seem to be pretty basic, but what passes for a small or medium sized city in the most populated country in the world is often larger and more complex than most interns will have seen. Traffic is heavy and confusing, and crossing the street can mean taking one’s life into their own hands. The basic, and possibly only, rule of the road in China is: yield to anything larger than you. This means if you’re walking, yield to everything. Special attention should be paid to the swarms of electric bikes, as they make no noise.

Larger and more tourist friendly Chinese citites, such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Hong Kong, have excellent rail systems that are cheap, efficient, and have signage and announcements in English. Outside of these cities the busses are also cheap and efficient, but the schedules will be entirely in Chinese and the drivers will likely speak no English. Likewise, taxi drivers, even in the largest cities, by and large speak no English. The easiest way to get around in a taxi, short of knowing your destination in Chinese, is to have written cards with the locations in Chinese on them to hand to the driver. These cards are given out at most hotels, and some will have additional tourist locations on them. Currently, taxis have a 1 Yuan fuel surcharge on top of what will be displayed on the meter.

Sidenote: “San Li Tun” is Bar Street in Beijing, any taxi should be able to get you there easily if you say this.

2. The Language

As previously noted, most taxi drivers will not speak or read any English at all. The same is true for wait staff in restaurants (Western fast food chains aside), street vendors (who have the best food, more on that later), bartenders, and the general population, with Shanghai being the exception.

The two hours per week of Mandarin lessons included in the contract, while helpful, will be hardly enough to become conversational, and indeed, many of the smaller schools will gloss over this contract stipulation. Don’t rely on it! The best way to make the most of the internship experience is to arrive with at least some basic Mandarin. Time wasted on going to McDonalds because they’re the only nearby restaurant with a picture menu could better be spent sampling street vendor food, for instance. Hello, goodbye, yes, I would like, I do not want, thank you, and the ability to count to at least 10 will go very far. Turn left, turn right, go straight, and stop will go further. An explanation of pinyin (Chinese in Romanized script) is outside of the scope of this article, but can easily be found on the internet. The pinyin for some basic helpful terms is given as an appendix.

It’s also important to understand what some of the English phrases Chinese people use actually mean. For instance, “Ok, ok, I know, I know” if said very quickly actually means, “Please stop talking.” “Maybe I don’t know,” typically means, “No.” “Maybe later,” typically means, “Only if you keep asking me, I really don't want to do that.” If there is no answer to your question, the answer is definitely no, the culture of non-confrontation here means getting an actual no to a question is rare. “Have a rest,” means, “Take a seat.”

When speaking to any non-native speakers, not just Chinese, remember to speak slowly and clearly. Westerners speak very very fast typically, and many of us have accents we are not aware of.

3. Quick Primer on Understanding Chinese Culture

The Chinese are very friendly, particularly to foreigners. Their hospitality is legendary, and they value personal relationships above pretty much all else. This is part of the reason for trepidation in spelling out exactly what they mean, so it’s important to be able to read between the lines in any situation. Part of this hospitality also includes giving advice. Expect co-workers and friends to advise on any and all situations with absolutely no prompting. It’s part of their way of being friendly.

They are also in a period of conspicuous consumption, meaning things like nice clothes are considered extremely important. They will expect Westerners to dress sharply. They will also often argue over who gets the bill, with each person trying to pay the whole thing. They will offer food, drinks, and so on in social settings and delight in exposing newcomers to Chinese culture and experiences. It’s confusing and dissappointing to have someone refuse what they consider hospitatility. Unfortunately for non-smoking men, offering cigarettes is considered a friendship gesture, and almost all Chinese men smoke. They will not understand refusal of a cigarette. Women, on the other hand, rarely smoke or drink in public.

In non tourist cities, foreigners are still a relatively rare sight. China has only really been open to the West, outside of Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Macau, for around 30 years, meaning anyone over 45 finds it quite a novelty to see a foreigner. Staring in Chinese culture is not considered rude, so expect to be stared at often. Small children will also point and shout “Lao wai!” (foreigner) often. People may stop and ask to take pictures with really unique (to them) individuals. Remember, though these things are disconcerting and possibly offensive to us, to the Chinese they have done nothing wrong and we are ambassadors in their country.

Likewise, spitting and chewing with one’s mouth open are perfectly acceptable and not considered rude. The concept of waiting in a line is as foreign in China as we are. It’s get in where you fit in, and expect some shoving as well. Waiting at the back of a line patiently in many situations almost certainly means never getting to the front.

Finally, things will often change or happen at the very last minute. It is not at all uncommon to get notification of new students or a new lesson 10 minutes before. At least some placements –will- change during the orientation week in Beijing.

4. The Food

The Chinese probably place food only second to family and friends in terms of what is important in life. And, despite mostly being thin, they eat a lot and often. This, coupled with their hospitality, means expect to be offered food constantly! The Chinese also conduct most if not all serious business over a meal. If a tough issue needs to be tackled with the school, lunch is the best place to bring it up.

Western food is easy to come by in major cities (though expensive), but very difficult if not impossible in smaller places. For instance, there is not a single taco in Xuzhou. That said, one of the biggest parts of experiencing a new culture is it’s food, it would be a shame to spend half a year in China with no appreciation of their cuisine.

Also, learn to use chopsticks! Some places don’t have forks at all. It’s not nearly as difficult as it looks.

A special note for vegetarians: Maintaining a vegetarian diet in China is tough. The Chinese do not really understand vegetarianism. Because meat is more expensive, they see not eating meat as something only the really poor do. They will be confused by any Westerner, rich by their standards, who does not eat meat. They will also not appreciate refusal of their hospitality, and often when offering food will not take no for an answer. Indeed, saying “I am vegetarian” in Chinese may still procure a dish with chicken or fish, or a broth made with meat products. There are two basic options, throw that diet to the wind on arrival and eat everything offered, or learn to say “I am Buddhist” and say it often. (I chose the former, and feel my friendships with people have been the better for it.)

5. Preparing to Teach

Teaching is, for most interns, the big stress item. Most have never taught before in any capacity and have only the TEFL course to rely on. Rely on it! The methods taught in the course work. They are based on somewhat new, but very tested and sound teaching principles used in curriculum beyond TEFL classrooms.

Make a detailed, organized, written lesson plan for every lesson. Most people who sign up for an opportunity like an internship in China live life by the seat of their pants, but attempting to do so in a lesson is a certain means to end up with boring lessons at best, and discipline/control issues at worst. 90% of the time students misbehave it is because they are bored, ie it is actually the teacher’s fault. Preparing ahead of time will eliminate most discipline problems before they even start. Follow the PPP method. Prepare and organize any teaching aids to eliminate downtime. Maximize student talk time whenever possible.

However, even with the best preparation, some lessons will fall apart. Be flexible, if something is clearly not working for students do not force through the lesson. Have a repitoire of games to fall back on. The games do not always have to teach new language, any game or activity that practices listening, speaking, reading, or writing is still a valuable exercise for students. The internet is filled with TEFL forums where experienced teachers have listed games that work.

Some of the cautionary items in these tips may sound a bit frightening. But, being prepared will insure the TTC / I to I Teach in China Internship is the experience of a lifetime. China is a great country with friendly and helpful people, and teaching is an incredibly rewarding experience on a daily basis. Be careful crossing the street, learn the language, be aware of the differences in Chinese culture and customs, enjoy the food, and prepare your lessons.

By Phill Harmon

Phill Harmon joined the program in the Feb 2010 intake, and is currently teaching from age 3 to grade 6 in Xuzhou, Jiangsu province. He can be reached with questions at phill@thelogictheorist.com

Appendix: Useful Chinese Words and Phrases

Hello - Nǐ hǎo

Goodbye – Zàijiàn

Yes – Dui (often said twice quickly)

Thank you – Xièxiè

I would like - Wǒ yào

do not want - bù yào

I am a teacher - Wǒ shì lǎoshī

little Chinese - yī diǎndiǎn zhōngwén

I speak a little bit of Chinese - Wǒ jiǎng yī diǎndiǎn zhōngwén

Don’t worry about it / no problem - Méi wèntí